Posted on June 7, 2016
An underwater pump able to dredge 100m below the surface gives dredging company a competitive advantage.
GIW Industries, Inc., the leader in the design, manufacture, and application of heavy duty centrifugal slurry pumps, announces the successful design and installation of a unique underwater pump system for a major Chinese dredging contractor. This equipment package consists of a GIW® Minerals LHD pump directly mounted onto a 4500 kW submersible electric motor and housed in a carrier arm attached to the drag arm of a trailing suction hopper dredge. This upgrade allows the dredge to operate efficiently at depths up to 100 meters.
This highly-specialized pump package gives the dredging company the flexibility to bid on complex dredging projects all over China and even set their sights on global projects. The drag arm is lowered into the water when dredging and can be extended to reach a depth of 100 meters. It is retracted and stowed on board when sailing to the delivery point. The 58″ impeller and 4500 kW/6000 hp motor significantly decrease the filling time of the 15,000 cubic meter hopper when operating at depths in excess of 35 meters, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the dredge.
Exceptional partnership, professional project management After winning the initial contract, GIW made completely new design changes to meet the updated requests of the dredging company. Only a few dredges in the world have a similar low speed electric motor configuration for their submersible pump, so GIW had to design major components and the entire system from scratch. The dredge ship was already in operation, forcing GIW to work within existing size and weight parameters to retrofit the underwater pump package.
Jonathan Samuel, GIW Region Manager serving customers in Asia and Europe, assembled and worked with a team of international partners to deliver the project, fulfilling the dredging company’s requirements in September 2014. The pump was designed and manufactured by GIW, and several other companies worldwide played a role in completing the final project.
“GIW manufactured the dredge pump and the submersible gland water pumps were sourced from KSB Germany. The electrical system designer/integrator/supplier was a Dutch company, and the carrier arm was also designed by a Dutch expert. The Low Voltage components and the heavy fabrication were sourced from The carrier arm is capable of dredging up to 100 meters deep. China. Coordinating multiple international suppliers and partners was the biggest challenge of this project, and the successful execution is a testament to the project management and technical capabilities of GIW,” Samuel says.
About KSB and GIW® Minerals
GIW Industries, Inc. was established as a small, privately owned foundry and machine shop in 1891. By 1914 the company was supplying slurry pumps to the Florida phosphate industry. Over the years, GIW became known for its severe abrasive handling pumps and began a century of facility expansion and technology growth. In 1996 GIW became a full subsidiary of KSB and in 2014 the GIW® Minerals brand was established.
Through the GIW® Minerals product brand, KSB strives to be an innovative partner that provides you with the best and longest wearing slurry solutions. We are your partner, today and in the future.
